Redd As Blood
by Drusilla Lance
Summary: Sequal to 'After the Storm.' A man of magical power threatens the life of a member of Clark's family. Chapter Four's Up!
1. Musings

This wasn't happening. It had to be a dream, some sort of sick, twisted nightmare.  
  
Lex stood before the stained glass window that overlooked Smallville, sipping occasionally on an amber colored drink. Lex tried so hard to be a good person, to do great things, but they always backfired. Always.  
  
It was only three months ago that things had gone topsy-turvy and inside- out. His father had come into to Smallville to give what everyone thought to be his annual pep-talk. True, he was somewhat early for his annual speech, but no one seemed to think anything peculiar of it-except Lex. He knew his father was never "early" but rather, "fashinably late." Lex knew this wasn't a good sign.  
  
He had been right. What started out as a pep-talk turned into a mass pink slip. He had shut down the plant, blaming Lex for it.  
  
Then it came-without warning. Three massive tornadoes hit the Meteor Capital of the World. The winds had torn part of the castle away, debris landing upon he and his father in the middle of a heated argument. Lex almost allowed his father to die then and there, but a sense of morality had come over him that motivated him to rescue the gray, old man trapped under the debris. Maybe it was the man's calls to "do it for your mother! Do it for Mommy!" It was his way of guilt-tripping his son. It had worked. Lex moved in to save his father and successfully did so at the same moment that the debris that threatened his father's life had tumbled upon him, instead.  
  
He didn't understand how his father had managed to pull him out and drive him to the Smallville Hospital with a broken back and shattered hip. The doctors all agreed that it was a combination of the adrenaline and the motivation that comes when a parent sees their offspring being threatened. Lex found it hard to believe that his father would give more than a damn about him-his delinquent failure.  
  
In the week that followed, he had killed a man. But not just any man. This man threatened a boy he loved like a brother. He didn't know what dirt this man had on the boy, and though Lex was curious, he knew that whatever it was would betray any trust this boy and his parents had for him. And though the boy's father hated him with a passion, he still looked to Jon Kent as the father he wished he had.  
  
Lex had also gained the trust of two young ladies, one of whom he had a hard time keeping his mind off of and the other a timid frail that had given him her family jewels. Just as it was with the boy, Clark, Lex was curious about this girl and what name she was hiding that went along with those jewels. But as with Clark, he daren't pry. He didn't want to betray the trust she had so willingly given him without any proof that she could trust him in the first place. She was physically different from Clark, yet exactly like him. They could have been siblings in another life.  
  
Yet.Lex felt he already had betrayed the yound frail who gave no other name than Redd. She had given him her family jewels in order for him to keep the LuthorCorp. Plant open. However, that would have proven unneccessary.  
  
After many weeks of physical therapy, doctors concluded that Lex' father would need to undergo surgery to repair his spine. He did, both father and son agreeing that sooner was better.  
  
The surgery was a success in restoring Lionel's mobility, however, something went tragically wrong. While the doctors were repairing his spine, an accident caused him to lose his sight.  
  
Now sightless and having to undergo physical therapy of a different kind, Lex was needed to run LuthorCorp. almost entirely, meaning that the buy-out was unneccessary. He had, in essence, paid himself.  
  
Lex had tried to make-up for this lack of foresight by attepting to buy the jewels back, but he was unsuccessful in doing so. The new owners refused. He wanted to give the excess money back, but he knew she would never take back more than what she had wanted for the Kents. He had a short discussion with her about what should be done with the surplus. She just shrugged ever so casually and told him to donate it to a charity or to fight terrorism.  
  
Lex had thought it strange that a fifteen year old girl would be so concerned about world issues, particularly this one. She seemed so peaceful and the charities he already donated to were all to help needy children and families in Egypt. He would have never guessed this frail to take a side in the matter. He had asked her if she had lived in Egypt. Her response was that she had been all over the world and spoke most of Earth's languages-she even demonstrated seven of them. Curiosity still getting the best of him, he asked if she had been victim in the attacks against America. She simply shook her head, explaining she was in Metropolis when that had happened. He then asked if she had been involved in any kind of terrorist attack. She quickly averted her large, violet eye to her hands that were fidgeting in her lap. After a moment of silence and what Lex thought was her fighting back tears she replied "that would be more information about my identity than I care to share." Lex knew that she had been a victim, perhaps while travelling the world, but did not push the matter farther.  
  
Lex finished off his beverage, yet lingered by the stained glass window. Redd was quite an interesting specimen and even more so a mystery. He wanted to learn more about this child's origens, but he had learned that investigating a friend had proven to be most fatal. In due time the timid little redhead would reveal all.  
  
Suddenly Lex' phone rang. It wasn't the phone sitting on his desk, though. It was his private cell phone. It was a number that only three people in his life had. Upon his answering, a smile graced his lips. Not just any smile, but a genuine smile. "Chloe," he greeted pleasantly. 


	2. Suffocation

Smallville was very different from any place she had lived previously. It wasn't bustling with activity like any normal city. Most days were spent watching TV, doing chores, lounging around in "The Fortress of Solitude" or hanging out at the Talon.  
  
The Kent Farm had been easily rebuilt with the help of the powers that she and her brother possessed.  
  
Her "brother."  
  
It seemed so foreign at first. She had been an only child before her life was turned upside down. But as the weeks went on, Clark had started calling her "sis." Shortly after, she just started calling him "brother." It took her a bit longer to start calling Martha and Jonathan "Mom and Dad."  
  
She didn't even mean to when it first happened. She supposed that after hearing Clark refer to them as Mom and Dad, it just slipped. She felt so embarrased when she did. They assured her that they didn't mind her calling them that. But there was more to it. She felt she would be betraying her real parents by calling them that. Then one night she had a dream that her parents came and visited her. She talked with them about it, among other things. Her parents told her that it was okay to feel at home and loved by these wonderful people that had taken her in. They wanted what was best for her, as any good parents would, and what was best for their little Redd was that she have a family to watch over her in her time of need.  
  
Hence forward, Martha and Jonathan Kent became her Mom and Dad, and Clark her big brother. The Kents wanted to officially adopt her, but Redd became adamant that they didn't. She wasn't ready to tell them the whole truth about herself, but instead told them that her killer would be able to find her easier if they did and she ddn't want to put them in a position where they could get killed. The three argued that they would do anything to protect her. Clark even got a little hotheaded, boasting that nothing could stop him, save the meteor rocks. Redd had told them that the man after her had powers that no mortal-human or alien-would have been able to overcome. They stopped asking questions there.  
  
Redd had also become close friends with Chloe and Lana. Even though Chloe was in Metropolis for her internship at the Daily Planet, she would still call almost every night to check up on her "find." Chloe would always tease her that one day she'd write an expose on how "Woodland Girl Keeps Ankle-Length Hair From Tangling." She had been invited to come visit Chloe in Metropolis, but quickly declined, stating that the Kents needed her to help out around the farm. No one really knew why she got so tense everytime the word "Metropolis" was uttered. Everyone just chalked it up to being a part of the mystery that was Redd.  
  
Lana was also a good friend. She was quite unlike Chloe. Lana was more a make-up, music and guys type of girl, whereas Chloe was more a politics, current events and snark type of girl. They were very different, yet Redd managed to get along with both of them. Chloe was great for deep, intellectual conversations, whereas Lana was great for sharing stories of their families. Both she and Lana had lost their parents.  
  
Lana and Redd occasionally went shopping together, hung out and made regular "girl-talk." They had fun trying on different clothes, going to the Clinique counter to try some free make-up samples, or just eating lunch together and making commentaries on anyone who happened to pass by them.  
  
It was a nice feeling, though.To be able to go to sleep knowing that the people you love will be there when you wake up.But as soon as Redd would think that, the fear would come back.the want to run away would return. Redd was cursed.She was cursed to have anyone she loved, anyone she felt connected to, die and leave her to live a seemingly immortal life of pain and suffering. That's when the tears would come. Her silent sobs were her lulluby. They were the only sounds that wold allow the reheaded beauty to drift into slumber...  
  
Her dreams were haunted with eerie, green smoke, the faces of her newfound family and friends, the voices of those that had been killed in her place.The airplane, the bus, the car, the knife and the note were all there, chasing her. Her powers were of no use to her. They were nulled by the magicks of the nigtmares. She would run while screaming for her demons and ghosts to leave her forever. And then she would stop when the green smoke became so thick she couldn't see her feet. She would stand there, alone and frightened until she heard the laughter.  
  
It started out low and merry, much like how one would imagine Saint Nikolas would. The chuckle would then grow louder and darker until finally it reached a deafening, maniacle screech. The smoke would begin to part as footsteps grew nearer and the sound of a sword being unsheathed was heard. And then out of the darkness he would appear.The faceless man that had been after her for what seemed like eternity would appear, cloaked in ritual robes and crystals dangling from every thread. He was accompanied by his minions-legions of demons and evil spirits. They would hiss in laughter. Redd would try to run away, but found herself locked in a dark room with the green smoke, demons and her killer. Usually he would raise his sabred blade up to her throat in preparation to slit it. But not this time.This time he ordered his minions to attack her. They leaped upon her, clutching at her throat.Suffocating her.  
  
Redd opened her violet eyes in hopes to escape her dream. Her eyes grew large when she realized her suffocation had not been another nightmare. Her pillow was upon her face and she could feel the strong hands that kept it steadily upon her nose and mouth. Redd tried to use her telekinetic powers to remove the pillow, but found that she could not. She tried to use her telepathy to contact Jon and Martha, but to no avail. That's when it sunk into her oxygen deprived mind.It was her killer that was suffocating her, using his voodonic powers to null her own.  
  
Redd struggled physically to break free, but to no avail. She relied so much on her psychic powers, that physical strength wasn't something she thought of needing. She tried to call for help but the pillow prevented her from sucking in precious air that was needed to vibrate her vocal cords. The only thing she could see was they gray color of the pillow on her face.  
  
Redd began to feel weak. Her muscles were relaxing against her will to fight. She started to get dizzy. A single, salty tear carressed her now white cheek as she too in her last gasp of air. 


	3. Green

It was a similar dream every night. The feeling of weightlessness, the beauty of the starlit sky with a full and glorious moon crowning the night, the meadow of colorful wild flowers dancing in the slight breeze and a perfect, little, two-story house. One of the windows was open. He floated over to it and peered inside. The moonlight gave the room an ethereal and magical feel. He saw the princess laying on her silken bed, fast asleep.  
  
He entered thru the window, floating over to just above the raven-haired maiden. He gazed down at her and smiled. She twitched and her eyes fluttered before opening. She looked at the man hovering over her and smiled, melting the heart of the farm boy. She reaches out for him and puts her arms around his neck, drawing him nearer to her. He closes his eyes and prepares to kiss the fairy princess.  
  
A loud crash is heard as Clark lands on his bed, awakening from his perfect dream. It always happened like that.He'd always wake up right when the girl of his eternal dreams would go to kiss him.  
  
Clark got up out of bed to examine any damage he had done. Sure enough, the wooden frame at the foot of the bed was cracked and a few springs had popped out of place and punctured the mattress and the sheets. He would have felt bad about breaking another bed, but with Redd around, she'd easily be able to telekinetically mend the fractured molecules back together again. For someone so young, she was very powerful. He was glad she wasn't one of those freaks that used their powers for destructive purposes.  
  
Clark decided he'd finish the night on the couch downstairs. He wasn't going to be able to sleep on a broken bed and he didn't want to wake up his little sister in order for her to fix it.  
  
His "little sister."  
  
It had a nice ring to it. Clark had always wanted a sibling when he was younger. He had hoped that Ryan-the boy his mother had found-would've been it. But as luck would have it, he had living relatives that Social Services sent him to live with. He knew it would be different with Redd. All of her family was dead, which wasn't entirely true. She had confided in Clark--and only Clark-that her mother had a rather large family back in Egypt. He had asked her why she didn't go live with them. She had gone on to tell him that her mother's family wanted nothing to do with a half- American child. She had been saddened by this.She had told him that she loved living in Egypt 6 months out of the year while her mother and father went on archeological expeditions.  
  
Clark felt honored that Redd trusted him more than anyone else. She said she could feel a connection with him, even though her telepathic abilities were unable to penetrate him. He had to admit that he, too, felt a similar connection. Maybe they were siblings in another life. Clark also confided his little secrets in Redd. Things like how he feels about Lana, but then how he also feels about Chloe, his powers, school, friends and other such things. She also gave great advice. It was nice to have a female other than his mother he could talk about these things to. It was nice.  
  
As Clark left his room to go downstairs, he passed by Redd's bedroom. He had a weird feeling-maybe it was the sibling onnection or his innate sense to watch over people-but he decided to check in on her. He used his X-Ray vision to see thru the door, not wanting to open it and have it creak, thus waking his little sister up.  
  
He was terrified by what he saw. Without thinking, he busted open the door only to confirm what his X-Ray vision had percieved: Someone was suffocating his little sister.  
  
The man cloaked in a black and dark green velvet robe jumped. He wasn't expecting anyone to wake up.He was as stealthy as a wolf looking for it's next meal after a long and baren winter. The raven-haired boy came after him, moving quicker than the human eye could see. The boy held the mystic in the air with his fists and slammed his back against the wall while calling out for his parents. The dark and ominous figure managed to grab a handful of green, magic powder and thrust it in the boy's face. It was created to cause illusions, but it did much more to the boy.  
  
Clark doubled over in pain as the dust got into his eyes and nose. He started to feel sick as his veins began to bulge and glow the same green color the dust did. His body tried to expel the meteor-based dust by sneezing non-stop. Clark's eyes began to water and green tears fell from his squinting eyelids. Suddenly, Clark began to feel very claustrophobic, as if the walls were closing in on him, locking him away. He could hear a man talking and woman sobbing, but he didn't understand the language they spoke. As the last bit of light was shunned by the darkness, he could feel the ground below him moving. He saw stars and planets. A sudden calm came over him as he looked out at the peaceful scene.and without warning, the planet he had come from tore itself apart. Clark screamed.  
  
By then, the Kents had come running in to see a lifeless Redd and a convulsing Clark. Jonathan toted his rifle and was not afraid to use it against the cloaked intruder. He had hurt what he held most dear in his entire existance-his family. He pulled the trigger twice, both times hitting the man in the velvet robe-once in the shin, the second time in gut. The ominous figured yelped as the bullets cut thru his flesh and into his internal organs. He pulled out a tube from another pouch on his belt and slammed it on the floor. It shattered and created a thick green cloud of smoke. When the smoke cleared, the intruder had vanished. Martha rushed from the safety of the doorway to the white and blue Redd, while Jonathan attended to his son.  
  
"Jonathan! She's not breathing!" Martha shouted frantically after trying to revive the young girl with CPR.  
  
"I have to get Clark to the shower!" Jonathan replied. "That creep dumped meteor rock dust all over Clark. Keep trying, Martha! And call the cops!"  
  
"We can't call the cops! They'll take Redd away!"  
  
Jonathan paused and tried to fight back tears as he helped his son up from off the ground. "That.That may not matter now.Redd's dea.Redd's." He couldn't say it. He didn't want to. Even though Redd had only been living under his roof for a few short months, she had become a daughter to him. The thought of having lost her.He couldn't. Not now. He had to get all the meteor dust off his son or he'd both of his kids dead.  
  
Martha looked at Jonathan, knowing what he was trying to say. She sat at the foot of the bed and held Redd's small, limp hand in hers, using her thumb to stroke it. Her tears fell freely as she looked upon the frail's face, her red hair clashing with her bluish skin. "Oh, Redd.You told us we couldn't protect you.You warned us we'd get hurt.We thought we could.But we didn't.Please.Please.Forgive us, my darling girl.Please." Her words were but mere whispers. Her sobs soft and tortured.  
  
Suddenly, Martha felt a cold hand grab her arm and screamed. 


	4. Illusions

Jonathan Kent heard his wife scream. He looked at his son in the shower, whome he had been helping wash off all the meteor dust. "Stay here," he ordered forcefully. He ran down the hall, stopping only to grab his rifle from his bedroom. He could only think the worst: That the robed intruder was back to harm more of his family.  
  
He rushed into Redd's room and nearly dropped his gun in pure shock.  
  
Martha could do nothing but stare in happiness at the sight before her.  
  
She trembled. She was cold and in severe pain. Her eyes were large with fear and confusion. She looked around at her surroundings, remebering her dream, what had happened when she woke up and how she felt before everything went dark. Tears fell from her face as her violet orbs shifted between a gun-toting Jon and a happily tear-shedding Martha. "I--Is.H--He g--gone?"  
  
Martha embraced the cold, blue-tinted girl with all the warmth, strength and joy she could muster, shushing her and rocking her back and forth in an attempt to comfort the child, all the while telling her that "he" was gone and everything was going to be alright. The redhead wished she could believe her.  
  
Suddenly, Redd pulled away, still shivering. She looked Martha square in the eye. "Where's Clark? Is he okay?" Panic filled her voice. She remembered hearing him confort her killer before she slipped into darkness.  
  
Martha looked at her husband, knowing he'd have a better answer. "He's washing up from that meteor dust that low-life threw on him. He should be fine."  
  
"'Meteor dust?'" Redd's eyes grew larger. "That dust isn't made from meteors! It's a ritual crystal from the Carribean that's been crushed and then enchanted by evil and powerful magicks!"  
  
Jon furrowed his brows in confusion. "Then why is Clark reacting to it like he would to a meteor rock?"  
  
"The magicks that enchant the dust produce nightmarish illusions upon whomever the dust is cast upon.Clark only thinks he's being affected by meteor rocks," Redd explained. "My bet is that isn't the only illusions he's experiencing."  
  
"Clark was able to resist that Nicodemus flower we told you about," Martha said. "He should be able to resist regular crystals."  
  
"No! You don't understand.The flower you speak of affects one physically, whereas the magically enchanted crystals affect one's soul. Clark may physically be alien, but all forms of life-alien or not-have souls."  
  
Martha and Jon took a moment to soak up the information. "But washing the dust off will get these illusions to go away?"  
  
"Yes." Redd then added as an afterthought, "Unless he ingested or inhaled it, then it could last for a very long time or however long the spell was specified for."  
  
The two adults echanged wide-eyed glances, remembering at how much Clark had been sneezing.  
  
Redd caught the exchange and a worried expression crossed her own oxygen- deprivated face. "He didn't inhale it.did he?"  
  
"We could just let it wear off," Martha suggested.  
  
"But if Clark thinks he's being affected by the meteor rocks, he could die if we wait!" Redd exclaimed.  
  
"But they're not really affecting him," Jon said. "It's all in his head."  
  
Redd spoke slowly, softly and gravely. "Where the mind goes, the body follows."  
  
The two adults understood what she was saying now. If Clark thinks he's dying, he'll die.Just like with what happened to Lana after the tornado.  
  
"What do we do?!" Martha screamed in panic.  
  
"Is there anything we can do, Martha? Not unless we have nose vacuum!"  
  
"We have to do something!"  
  
While Martha and Jon were debating over what could and couldn't be done, Redd had thrown the blankets off of her and climbed out of bed. She was weak, and hurt every nerve in her body to move, but she had to. It wasn't until she was half-way down the hallway going towards the bathroom did the adults notice what Redd was doing.  
  
"What do you think you're doing?!" Jon shouted.  
  
"You shouldn't be out of bed," Martha chimed. "You were dead for a few minutes, remember?"  
  
"And Clark will be for far longer if I don't act now." Redd was unusually calm, considering the circumstances. She didn't have the energy to be freaked out. However, the sight of Clark collapsed on the shower floor, veins bulging green and his breath just shallow gasps was enough to make her want to cry. This was her big brother.He wasn't allowed to get hurt.  
  
Redd took deep breaths, her body giving her thanks. The most important thing she needed to do was remain calm. It was as cliched as one could get, but she wouldn't be able to concentrate if she wasn't calm.  
  
If Clark were any other normal human being, she would have used her telepathic powers to stabilize Clark's mentality, freeing him from the illusions. But because Clark's physiology and brain chemistry was different from the average person, her telepathic powers would prove fruitless. She had but one choice: Use her telekinetic abilities to remove each grain of dust from Clark's body.  
  
In theory, it was possible. However, it would take telekinetic powers that matched only a god's to perform such a task. Once Redd had learned of her psionic abilities, she delved into as much literature on the topic as she could possibly find. She utilised her powers in the safety of her own home before her grandmother--and legal gaurdian--was killed. She had mastered her skills quite efficiently and was very powerful, but she was unsure if she would be able to strecth her powers that far.  
  
Best case scenario: She saves her big brother.  
  
Worst case scenario: She died trying.  
  
Dying wasn't something she wanted to experience.again.  
  
Having gained some serenity, Redd closed her eyes and focused. She drew her fingers up to her temples and bit down on her bottom lip. Her body ached, but she couldn't pay any attention to that. Martha and Jon moved to stand beside the young girl, their gazes shifting between Redd and a worsening Clark. After what seemed like an eternity, Clark's breathing resumed regularity. He opened his eyes, water threatened to spill from them. He reminded his parents of how he looked when he was just a todder waking up from a bad dream.  
  
"M-Mom.D-Dad."  
  
Martha rushed to her little boy, but before Jon could do the same, Redd let out a groan and collapsed. Jon caught her frail and weakened body in his arms. Fearing the worst yet, again, Jon examined her. She was still breathing. She had just passed out from exhaustion. 


End file.
